Stolford Farmhttps://stolfordfarm.co.uk
Thu, 23 May 2019 14:34:41 +0000 en-US
hourly
1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1.1Bluebell Walk at Stolford Farmhttps://stolfordfarm.co.uk/2019/05/17/bluebells-everywhere/
Fri, 17 May 2019 18:12:21 +0000https://stolfordfarm.co.uk/?p=1281Tipped off by a couple of guests at The Cow Shed I headed off, to the far side of Reservoir Field today and found the slope down to the water covered in a blanket of bluebells. It was so peaceful up on the hill. The only sounds were the singing of birds and a gentle …

]]>Tipped off by a couple of guests at The Cow Shed I headed off, to the far side of Reservoir Field today and found the slope down to the water covered in a blanket of bluebells. It was so peaceful up on the hill. The only sounds were the singing of birds and a gentle breeze in the trees. I also discovered bluebells at every turn, coming back through the woodland. Stolford never ceases to amaze me with each season bringing new treasures and delights.
bluebell walk at Stolford Farm

]]>Sheep on the Farmhttps://stolfordfarm.co.uk/2019/05/10/sheep-on-the-farm/
Fri, 10 May 2019 07:42:24 +0000https://stolfordfarm.co.uk/?p=1273The sheep were turned out this afternoon, bit of a drab day for the lambs but as usual they are full of life and bouncing about all over the place! There are about 100 ewes, a mixture of Texel and Jacob, and about 140 lambs so far, split between the 17 Acre and Browns Lane. …

]]>The sheep were turned out this afternoon, bit of a drab day for the lambs but as usual they are full of life and bouncing about all over the place! There are about 100 ewes, a mixture of Texel and Jacob, and about 140 lambs so far, split between the 17 Acre and Browns Lane.

We are expecting about another 200 ewes and their followers altogether this year, so a lot more to come yet. We’ll post more pics when we get some better weather, but now it is really starting to buzz at Stolford Farm. They’re on the hay ground for their first bite, they like their grass short and sweet!

]]>Chain Harrowinghttps://stolfordfarm.co.uk/2019/05/01/chain-harrowing/
Wed, 01 May 2019 10:55:39 +0000https://stolfordfarm.co.uk/?p=1268Just completed about 200 acres of chain harrowing on Stolford farm over a two week period, taking advantage of the good weather we had over the Easter break. The curly one is Reservoir Field, the one with the beech unhelpfully (but picturesquely) plonked in the middle is Browns Lane, and the one that looks like …

]]>Just completed about 200 acres of chain harrowing on Stolford farm over a two week period, taking advantage of the good weather we had over the Easter break. The curly one is Reservoir Field, the one with the beech unhelpfully (but picturesquely) plonked in the middle is Browns Lane, and the one that looks like Wimbledon at 30 degrees is Middle Barn. A fly has become immortalised in this shot!

Officially we do this every spring to remove dead thatch, lift vegetation up and level any mole hills. The main purpose is to allow air movement and root aeration which helps the soil to breathe and improves water infiltration. But really I like doing it because you can make lovely stripes that can be seen from space!

We also limed about 60 acres which keeps the acidic Exmoor soil in a good place for grassland to thrive, and we are reseeding about 20 acres next week with a mix of Ryegrass, Timothy, Cocksfoot, and white clover. We’ll see how we get on with that, and there will be a further Agri-nerd blog shortly after. The sheep will be turned out this week, so lots of frolicking lambs pix to follow.

]]>Middle Stolford updatehttps://stolfordfarm.co.uk/2019/04/27/middle-stolford-update/
Sat, 27 Apr 2019 08:00:33 +0000https://stolfordfarm.co.uk/?p=1265Middle Stolford, our 5 bed traditional farm cottage, is almost ready for our first guests. The cottage has been beautifully decorated throughout in Farrow & Ball colours, by P&P Decorators, and the finishing touches are being made. Subsequently we’re almost ready for the launch of this fabulous family holiday accommodation. Furthermore, a new child and …

]]>Middle Stolford, our 5 bed traditional farm cottage, is almost ready for our first guests. The cottage has been beautifully decorated throughout in Farrow & Ball colours, by P&P Decorators, and the finishing touches are being made. Subsequently we’re almost ready for the launch of this fabulous family holiday accommodation. Furthermore, a new child and dog-proof fence now surrounds the large garden. Joe, our Estate Manager, is adding to the cottage style planting with some additional flowering plants. We can’t wait to open the door and welcome our first guests. Keep an eye on the website for full details and booking options – coming very soon…

]]>Easter at Stolford Farmhttps://stolfordfarm.co.uk/2019/04/21/easter-at-stolford-farm/
Sun, 21 Apr 2019 21:59:05 +0000https://stolfordfarm.co.uk/?p=1178What a glorious bank holiday weekend at Stolford Farm! After the annual children’s Easter egg hunt on Sunday morning an afternoon of relaxation and sunbathing in the garden was followed by burgers on the barbecue in the afternoon and marshmallows toasted on the firepit before bed (no wine was consumed – honest!). Let’s have more …

]]>What a glorious bank holiday weekend at Stolford Farm!
After the annual children’s Easter egg hunt on Sunday morning an afternoon of
relaxation and sunbathing in the garden was followed by burgers on the barbecue
in the afternoon and marshmallows toasted on the firepit before bed (no wine
was consumed – honest!). Let’s have more of this fabulous weather!

]]>New Fire Pit at Stolford Farmhttps://stolfordfarm.co.uk/2019/04/19/new-fire-pit-at-stolford-farm/
Fri, 19 Apr 2019 13:53:10 +0000https://stolfordfarm.co.uk/?p=1174The fire pit at Middle Stolford Cottage is now complete and ready for our guests to use. Whether you want to toast marshmallows, try your hand at cooking on the tripod grill, or just sit and watch the flames flicker with good friends and a bottle of wine, it’s a lovely way to wind down …

]]> The fire pit at Middle Stolford Cottage is now complete and ready for our guests to use. Whether you want to toast marshmallows, try your hand at cooking on the tripod grill, or just sit and watch the flames flicker with good friends and a bottle of wine, it’s a lovely way to wind down before bed at the end of a busy day.

]]>Spring on the farmhttps://stolfordfarm.co.uk/2019/04/03/spring-on-the-farm/
Wed, 03 Apr 2019 12:37:21 +0000https://stolfordfarm.co.uk/?p=1022Spring has arrived at Stolford Farm and it’s blooming lovely! With spring flowers popping up everywhere and the trees starting to blossom there’s a real sense of re-awakening around the farm and cottages. We’ll be welcoming our first lambs over the next few weeks and are looking forward to watching them leaping around the fields. …

]]>Spring has arrived at Stolford Farm and it’s blooming lovely! With spring flowers popping up everywhere and the trees starting to blossom there’s a real sense of re-awakening around the farm and cottages. We’ll be welcoming our first lambs over the next few weeks and are looking forward to watching them leaping around the fields. Whilst harrowing, we’ve been delighted by the number of buzzards and kites following the tractor and the local deer have been spotted having a drink at the stream in the woodland near reservoir field.

]]>New dog proof fence for Middle Stolfordhttps://stolfordfarm.co.uk/2019/03/19/new-dog-proof-fence-for-middle-stolford/
Tue, 19 Mar 2019 21:43:04 +0000https://stolfordfarm.co.uk/?p=1059We want the cottage to be a welcoming place for guests with dogs, so in the Spring we made the garden quite a bit bigger, and surrounded it with a post and rail fence with pet friendly smooth wire. Visitors will be able to let their dogs roam the garden without worrying too much, unless …

]]>We want the cottage to be a welcoming place for guests with
dogs, so in the Spring we made the garden quite a bit bigger, and surrounded it
with a post and rail fence with pet friendly smooth wire. Visitors will
be able to let their dogs roam the garden without worrying too much, unless the
dog is less than six inches tall! Pictures of the newly
refurbished Middle Stolford coming soon.

]]>Can you spot the deer?https://stolfordfarm.co.uk/2019/03/05/can-you-spot-the-deer/
Tue, 05 Mar 2019 11:21:32 +0000https://stolfordfarm.co.uk/?p=1062They’re a bit blurred but they were taken from my mobile. As you walk the bridleways and tracks you will see single animals or large groups, and the quieter you are, the more you’ll see. They can clear fences in one effortless bound and when you startle them close up in the woods, mostly you …

]]>They’re a bit blurred but they were taken from my
mobile. As you walk the bridleways and tracks you will see single animals
or large groups, and the quieter you are, the more you’ll see. They can
clear fences in one effortless bound and when you startle them close up in the
woods, mostly you will see their rapidly retreating backsides! They can
often be seen grazing at a distance though, just keep your eyes open.

]]>Keeping the hedges tidyhttps://stolfordfarm.co.uk/2019/02/22/keeping-the-hedges-tidy/
Fri, 22 Feb 2019 20:34:25 +0000https://stolfordfarm.co.uk/?p=1056Another new investment this year was our Shelbourne Reynolds (made in Britain!) hedge trimmer. Farms on Exmoor like to keep their hedges a little higher, with a bit of overhang to protect the sheep and cattle from the worst of the weather. Sheep like a bit of shade too, in the hotter months. It took …

]]>Another new investment this year was our Shelbourne Reynolds
(made in Britain!) hedge trimmer. Farms on Exmoor like to keep their
hedges a little higher, with a bit of overhang to protect the sheep and cattle
from the worst of the weather. Sheep like a bit of shade too, in the
hotter months. It took about 3 weeks to do all 280 acres, and it can only
be done between October and February to protect nesting birds.